Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn revolves around one man's experience in a Soviet labor camp and how he deals with the many hardships he faces there. This prison camp is particularly harsh: prisoners must work nonstop, survive in cold conditions with minimal food, and deal with dehumanization and a lack of freedom. In many ways, four years in high school can feel like a forced prison sentence in a Soviet gulag to many: students can feel hopeless, lost, and exhausted by their workloads. This common situation is magnified when a new student arrives at New Trier High School, a school known for its stressful, competitive environment and massiveness in both geographical size and student population. One Day in the
Being in a Soviet labor camp without food, freedom, and countless other human needs would be a dreaded nightmare for many of us. It would be easy to shut down and feel sorry for ourselves, only allowing ourselves to experience regret, torment, and pain. Yet, instead of focusing on the negative aspects of his day, Shukov is able to remain positive and even happy at times by focusing on the good things that happened that day, even if they are small. At the end of the novel, Shukvov reflects upon what had brought him happiness that day: "Shukov went to sleep fully content. He'd had many strokes of luck that day: they hadn't put him in the cells; they hadn't sent his squad to the settlement; he'd swiped a bowl of kasha at dinner; the squad leader had fixed the rates well; he'd built a wall and enjoyed doing it..." (Solzhenitsyn 167). In just one day of prison camp, Shukov suffers through so much: he faces cold, hunger, feelings of nostalgia and isolation, and the fear of guards or others squealing. Although these moments may seem trivial, when Shukov doesn’t think about the horrendous fact that he is trapped in a labor camp and instead focuses on the collection of small happy moments, he is able to view his days in a more positive and hopeful light. In other words, these moments bring him the joy and the strength he needs to get through each day. Similarly to Shukov, a new student at New Trier should have a good attitude and focus on the good moments in their lives in order to not only "get through" their school days, but enjoy them. In high school, and especially at New Trier, students may feel so overwhelmed by the many aspects of their life, academics, school, their social lives, that they may forget about the importance of their own happiness. However, it is important for a new student at New